- New strategic supply agreement for Avalanche photodiodes (APD)
concluded
- Multi-million dollar order volume over the next three years
- Autonomous driving propels growth

At the world's largest trade fair for optical technologies, the
SPIE Photonics West in San
Francisco, the sensor specialist First Sensor and Velodyne LiDAR
Inc. announced an expansion of their cooperation for Avalanche
photodiodes (APD), which has been in place since 2005.

Velodyne LiDAR is the recognized global leader in Light, Detection
and Ranging (LiDAR)
technology. The strategic supply cooperation has a volume in
the millions over the next three years. Velodyne LiDAR uses Avalanche
photodiodes (APD) from First Sensor in its entire product range
of LiDAR scanners. Together with radar and camera systems, LiDAR
is of fundamental importance for autonomous driving. In this
field, Velodyne LiDAR acts as a supplier to a large number of
OEMs and tech companies in the autonomous revolution space and
particularly appreciates the performance of First Sensor technology
for this.

In the field of industry,First Sensor h as been a valued supplier
for Avalanche photodiodes for a long time. We cover a wide usage
spectrum, ranging from length measurement right up to machine
safety. By using these products in LiDAR scanners for autonomous
driving, we are now gradually tapping into a new market with
huge growth potential with this product, says Dr. Dirk Rothweiler,
CEO of First Sensor AG.

This started in 2009 with an APD array that entered series production
for the end customer Chrysler. In addition to the USA, this technology
is now being used in Europe and Asia as well.

Many of our development projects had reached prototype phase
by the end of last year.

We are confident that we will generate further business from
them in the future,¡±says Dr.
Mathias Gollwitzer, CFO of First Sensor.

First Sensor came first among producers for Avalanche photodiodes
in the recently published Global APD Avalanche Photodiode Market
Research Report 2016. They detect invisible flashes of light
with which LiDAR scanners create a high-definition 360 ¢ª
picture of the surrounding area. Fitted with an internal gain
mechanism, they are particularly sensitive. The sensor specialist
offers individual diodes as well as arrays, which are used for
applications such as distance measurement or optical communication.
They are used in the growth markets of industry 4.0, medical
technology and autonomous driving. These areas form the thematic
focus of this year SPIE Photonics West,at which more than 20,000
international visitors are expected.

About First Sensor AG
In the growth market of sensor systems, First Sensor develops
and produces customer-specific solutions for the ever-increasing
number of applications in the industrial, medical, and mobility
target markets. Based on tried-and-tested technology platforms,
we develop products from chips to complex sensor systems. Trends
such as Industry 4.0, autonomous driving, and the miniaturization
of medical technology will drive our growth extremely rapidly
in the future. First Sensor was established 25 years ago in Berlin
and has been listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange since 1999
[Prime Standard É WKN:720190 É ISIN:DE0007201907
É SIS ].
More information: http://www.first-sensor.com/en/About
Velodyne LiDAR
Founded in 1983 by David S. Hall, Velodyne Acoustics Inc. first
disrupted the premium audio market through Hall s patented
invention of virtually distortion -less, servo-driven subwoofers.
Hall subsequently leveraged his knowledge of robotics and 3D
visualization systems to invent ground breaking sensor technology
for self-driving cars and 3D mapping, introducing the HDL-64
Solid-State Hybrid LiDAR sensor in 2005. Since then, Velodyne
LiDAR has emerged as the leading supplier of solid-state hybrid
LiDAR sensor technology used in a variety of commercial applications
including advanced automotive safety systems, autonomous driving,
3D mobile mapping, 3D aerial mapping and security. The compact,
lightweight HDL-32E sensor is available for applications including
UAVs, while the VLP-16 LiDAR Puck is a 16-channel LiDAR sensor
that is both substantially smaller and dramatically less expensive
than previous generation sensors. To read more about the technology,
including white papers, visit http://www.velodynelidar.com.About First Sensor AG
First Sensor AG is one of the world's leading suppliers in the
field of sensor systems. Our company develops and manufactures
both standardized and tailor-made sensor solutions for the detection
of light, radiation, pressure, flow, level and acceleration for
applications in the Industrial, Medical and Mobility growth markets.
The company produces in-house and along the value-added chain
from component to system level.
With over 800 employees, we are represented at six German locations
and also have development, production and sales sites in the
USA, Canada, China, the Netherlands, Great Britain, France, Sweden
and Denmark along with a worldwide partner network. We guarantee
our compliance through regular successful certifications of the
sites according to ISO/TS 16949, ISO 14001, EN ISO 13485, EN
9100 and ISO 9001 - matching the respective business field. First
Sensor AG is listed in the Prime Standard of the German stock
exchange in Frankfurt.
For more information, contact: